Rail-joint.



T. A. HOOKEY.

RAIL JOHNT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1915.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

V THOMAS A. HOCKEY, OFVMODQNALD, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed Nov. 30, 1915.

Application filed July 9, 1915. Serial No. 38,932.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. Hooker, a citizen of the United States, residing at McDonald, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail joints, and the invention has for its object to provide a novel rail chair to which the confronting ends of two sections of rails can be easily and quickly clamped. i

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint that shall prevent the lateral and vertical displacement of the rails and to permit of only a limited longitudinal movement of the said rails.

With the above and other objects in View,

7 the improvement resides in the construction,

combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawingi Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved joint. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the chair or base of the improvement, and Fig. 4: is a similar view of the removable side or fish plate.

The rail joint is composed of two elements, a chair 1 and a fish plate 2, both of which are adapted to embrace rails 8 and l and to be secured together by the usual spikes which are arranged to contact with the longitudinal edges of the rails and which enter the supporting ties.

The chair 1 comprises a base or rail re ceiving seat 5 having integrally formed therewith, at a suitable distance from one of its longitudinal edges, an inwardly extend ing angular flange 6 which terminates in a vertical plate 7, the flange 6 and the plate 7 providing a fish plate, the inner surface of which conforming to one of the sides of the rails and the upper edge of the plate 7 underlying and contacting with the heads of said rails. This plate 7 upon its inner face is formed with laterally extending studs 8, and these studs enter the bolt openings in the webs of the rails 3 and The opposite longitudinal edge of the plate is provided with a vertical extension 9, the inner face of which being beveled from its upper to its lower edge and the said member 9 is of a greater width at one of its ends than at its opposite end.

Formed integral with the base 5, and disposed a suitable distance from the plate or extension 9 is a second plate 10, the opposite longitudinal edges of the same being beveled inwardly from top to bottom thereof, so that the said plate is substantially dovetailed shape in cross section and the side or edge of the plate disposed adjacent the beveled and inclined inner face of the plate 9 is spaced from the said plate 9 a greater distance at one of its ends than at its other end, thus providing a substantially dovetailed channel 11 between the said plates 9 and 10, which gradually decreases in width from one of the ends thereof tothe opposite end. The plate 10 also is of a greater width at one end than at the other end, so that the said plate provides what may be termed a wedge-shaped member.

The base 5 adjacent the plate 10 is pro vided with spike openings 18-l3, the said spike openings being so arranged as to have their inner walls disposed in a line with one of the longitudinal edges of the rails 3 and a, and the flange 6 as well as thebase plate are likewise provided with openings 14:, and these openings are also adapted for the reception of securing spikes, and the same may be so disposed as to communicate with one of the longitudinal edges of the base flanges of the rails, so that the spikes passing through the same will contact with the said rails.

The fish plate 2 has its horizontal flange 15 upon its inner edge beveled, as at 16, to conform to the shape of the base flanges of the rails upon which it is adapted to rest. Thus the flange 15 is of a greater thickness than the vertical plate 17 of the fish plate, and this thickened portion, which is disposed to the rear of the beveled surface 16, is channeled longitudinally, as at 18, and

.the opposite walls of the channel are bevshape of the upper wall of the dove tailed channel 11, within which it is adapted to be received and thus it will be noted that the lower face of the horizontal portion of the fish plate is formed with tongues and grooves which alternate with the tongues and grooves provided by the plates 9 and 10 of the chair 1 and the space between the inner inclinedwall of the member 10 and the said tongues and grooves is of a wedge-shaped formation, so that the greater the distance the fish plate 2 is moved upon the base of the chair, the tighter the vertical plate as well as the base flange engaging portion 16 of the said fish plate 2 will contact with the rails. The portion 16 is provided with openings 25 which are adapted to be brought into register with the openings 13, and the securing spikes, heretofore referred to, are passed through such alining openings to effectively lock the fish plate 2 upon the base of the chair member 1 and to thus provide a strong and effective joint.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be per-v fectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: g

A rail joint comprising a base portion having an integral fish plate, the vertical member of the fish plate being integrally formed with lateral studs which are adapted to be received in the bolt openings of rails when the said rails are arranged upon the base, the longitudinal edge of said plate opposite the fish plate being formed with an integral upwardly extending plate, the inner wall of which being beveled and the said inner wall being inclined from one of its ends to its opposite end, a second plate which is dove-tailed in cross section, formed integral upon the base and disposed away from the first mentioned plate, the said plate being of a greater width at one of its ends than at its opposite end, providing a substantially dove-tailed passage betweenboth of the said plates, a removable fish plate having a thickened base channeled at its outer longitudinal-edge andat a distance away from the said longitudinal edge to provide a dove-tail shaped tonguewhich is of a greater width at one of its ends than atits opposite end, the inner wall provided by the inner channel being beveled or inclined to correspond with the inner wallof the tongue and thus providing a dove-tail shaped channel, the tongue adapted to be re ceived in the channel between the upstanding plates upon the base and to frictionally engage with the walls thereof, the inner? beveled wall of the inner channel of the base of the fish plate engaging with the inner beveled wall of the inner plate upon the base of the chair, the horizontal member of'the fish plate and the base of the chair being formed with spike receiving openings arranged to aline with the longitudinal edges of the rails, securing members passing through said openings, the horizontal memberof the fish plate being formed with spike openings which aline with openings in the base of said chair, said openings being,

disposed to aline with one of the longitudinal edges of the rails, and spikes passing through said openings and contacting with the said rails. v

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses. i THOMAS, A. HOOKEY.

lVitnesses MATILDA Coon, ALFRED BOWLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent Washington, D. G. r 

